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There are not many Saturdays where I don't already have a wedding or session scheduled, but somehow, Anthony contacted me the week before he was planning on proposing to Shelby and I had NOTHING going on! To say I was PUMPED to photograph Anthony proposing to his girlfriend of seven years was an understatement!! These high school sweethearts met as a freshman and sophomore and have been dating ever since (much like my husband and I, who met our freshman and sophomore year, too!)

Throughout the week, we planned out the proposal, and Anthony decided on the platform of Duquesne Incline for the big moment. I stood towards the back of the platform, pretending to take photos of the Pittsburgh skyline as I watched for them from behind my camera and darted in and out of the incline building between bouts of rain. Thankfully, Shelby had absolutely no idea who I was, so I was able to hide in the open!

The pair meandered around the platform, taking photos, before Anthony stopped Shelby right in the middle of the platform, pulled out a ring box, and got down on one knee. I remember Shelby saying "you're really doing this right now!" as he slid the ring onto her finger and the crowd of people behind them erupted into applause and shouts of congratulations!

After I introduced myself to Shelby, we ran around Mount Washington for a few more photos before Anthony's second surprise for Shelby - a dinner reservation at the Le Mont Restaurant, with the most spectacular city views!

Shelby and Anthony, aside from being SO easy to get along with, are incredibly kind, joyful, and truly seem like the best of friends. It was such an honor to document this moment for you both! Congratulations, you two!!

There are few things I love more than a couple that are best friends - and these two most certainly are! Koreen and Kurt laughed their way throughout their entire engagement session, which made my job SO dang easy!! And really, we couldn't have hit up Hartwood at a better time. The trees were in all of their pink, spring glory - which perfectly complimented Koreen's gorgeous dress from Altar'd State!

And now, for a little back story from Koreen and Kurt!

How did you two meet?

We went to high school together. We met a few years later at a party, and the rest is history!

What do you and your fiance like to do for fun?

"We really enjoy getting to go for a walk together in the evenings. It's a great way for us to find out what is happening in our day to day lives. It's better than sitting on the couch kind of talking and staring at our phones. [Can I get an amen there?! - Jenna] We also enjoy going out to eat and watching movies."

How did he pop the question?!

"He took me out to my favorite restaurant (A Taste of India). Slid the ring in a box across the table and said 'that's for you' I thought that it was maybe another charm for the Pandora bracelet he has been filing up for the past few years. Once I opened the box and saw it was a ring I was shocked! I had every emotion happening all at once. He said 'well what do you think?' I said 'Yes! I can't believe this is happening right now!' When we got home he got down on one knee and asked me."

And now, without further ado - a few of my favorites from Koreen and Kurt's engagement session! Thank you two for trusting me with these precious memories - I cannot wait for the wedding!!

JHP FINALLY has an email list and I couldn't be more excited about it!! Over the course of the last year, I've had numerous current, former, and soon-to-be clients ask if there is a way they could stay updated on a monthly to bi-monthly basis with things like mini-session dates, cancellations, print specials, the latest blog posts new offerings, discounts, and the like, and I'm finally excited to open up this email list to anyone who would like to join!

With all of that being said, let me tell you a few things this email list is not:

Spam (I cannot STAND when people send me useless emails!)

A constant sales pitch (who wants to be sold to all the time?! Not me!)

If you are someone who is looking to stay updated on all things JHP, then this email list is certainly for you. Sign up below!

Kayla and Colin were so much fun to photograph at McConnell's Mills! Their bubbly personalities and kind demeanor made them so easy to get along with right from the start. We even figured out right before the session began that not only did Colin graduate from the same college as my husband (Geneva College), but that these two also go to the same church as we do (Grace Community Church)! There were so many connections happening, which always makes sessions that much more fun!

Also - Kayla brought the most adorable "love" shaped balloon with her that we were able to incorporate into the photos - so cute! (And just in case you were wondering, it's from Target!)

So without further ado - here are a few of my favorites from their golden light filled session!

Have you ever met people that are just so instantly comfortable to be around?! Kristin and Brian are most definitely those people! Not only are they easy to be around, but they are incredibly gracious and kind! These two wanted warm weather photos, and if you live in Pittsburgh, you know that we had one of the longest reaching-into-spring winters in a while. So we pushed back their engagement session date once - then twice - and you know what they say - third time's a charm, and it was SO worth the wait!

We met up at Allegheny Commons Park on a chilly morning, but lucky for us, there were some pink blossom trees that were in bloom, which is exactly what Kristin had envisioned (along with lots of green!).

And if you can't tell how adorable and in-love these two are from their photos, listen to how they met: Brian was a teller at a bank, and Kristin was a server at Eat'n Park (a little over three years ago). Kristin would come into the bank to deposit her tips, which is how she met Brian. After she met him, she tried to purposely make sure she would end up going to his counter (doesn't it sound like something out of a movie?!) - and a short while after, they had their first date (on St. Patty's Day!) which included some Eat'n Park grub!

Besides being such fun and kind people, Kristin is actually an incredibly talented wedding and senior photographer herself (check out her work here!!). It is always such a HUGE honor when someone else in the industry trusts me with their precious memories!

Without further ado, check out a few (or, okay, a LOT ) of favorites from Kristin and Brian's session! Cannot wait to celebrate with you two next month!!

If you’re getting married, chances are you definitely want to hire a photographer to document your day. Maybe even you’ve hired someone to take your engagement photos. But are there any other events you should consider hiring a photographer for?

Below are two additional wedding events that are typically heavily photographed, but not always by a professional photographer. Consider hiring a photographer for these two events to avoid the dreaded photo taking impairment effect.

1. Bridal Shower

Your friends and family put SO MUCH work into showering you with love and joy with so many beautiful and personal details, why not hire a photographer to document the day? That way, no one will have to worry about being on “camera duty” and everyone can enjoy your bridal shower fully engaged!

2. Rehearsal Dinner

Do you have a lot of extended family who you’re inviting to your rehearsal dinner? A rehearsal dinner is not only a great time for a photographer to get to know your family and bridal party before the wedding day, but a great way to get extra photos of your extended family all in one place! Plus – having time to take a few group photos at your rehearsal dinner is a great way to lessen the amount of extended family photos on the day of the wedding, saving time the day of your wedding for just having fun!

For more tips, tricks, and blog posts, be sure to follow @jennahidinger on Instagram!

In my house, we grew up with a Bichon Frise named “Chip” (named after Chip from Beauty & the Beast, of course!) who was much more like a family member than an actual dog – ha! He had prime real estate on the couch, had his own mini burger made for him when we had a cook out, and loved taking rides in the car (my dad would drive him around the neighborhood if he hadn’t gotten a ride in a while!).

I always love when couples decide to bring their dog to their engagement session, and throughout the years I’ve collected a few helpful tips for making an engagement session smoother with a dog! So if you’re planning on bringing your furry friend to your engagement session, check out the tips below:

1. Bring an additional person with you to help.

As owners, we love our dogs – really, they’re like our little fur children! And more than anything we want to make sure they’re well taken care of, which is why I always love to recommend bringing an extra person to help with your pup. Having someone else at the session to walk or play with your dog while you get a few photos without them can be incredibly helpful!

2. Have someone pick up/drop off your dog part of the way through the session.

This is actually my favorite option over my #1 tip for a couple of reasons: your dog won’t have to sit through your entire photo session. You’ll be able to relax knowing they are well taken care of. There’s no temptation to check on them throughout the session. Whether dog owners realize it or not, whenever their dog is sitting off to the side on the sidelines of a photo, they tend to constantly be checking to make sure they’re okay. Of course – that’s only natural! But having someone physically take your dog to another location will allow you to focus on spending time with your significant other without worrying what your pup might be up to!

3. Bring treats and/or a favorite toy.

The BEST way to get a dog’s attention is to have a treat or toy handy! Getting a dog to look at the camera for any length of time can be pretty challenging without! Bonus points for a toy with a squeaker, so I don’t have to bark ;)

Looking for more engagement and wedding tips and tricks? Be sure to follow @jennahidinger on Instagram to stay up to date with the latest info!

Soo I'm not sure why I never thought of using Succop Nature Park for an engagement session location, but it was literally THE perfect spot for Tamra and Chad's engagement session! These two decided on Succop as their location because they were originally thinking about getting married there, but decided to go with a different venue. Talk about the perfect way to get the best of both worlds!

Tamra and Chad met while working at Costco and have been together for about three and a half years! Tamra is studying to become a nutritionist, and Chad works as a graphic & web designer at Sparq Designs (who I used to work for!), which is how I've had the privilege of getting to know these two!

When Chad proposed, he proposed with a freakin' puppy. Possibly every girl's dream, right?! (Unless you're a cat lover, maybe). But regardless, because Tamra was proposed to with a puppy, of course we had to incorporate him into their engagement session!

Even though it was a little chilly for their session, we were blessed with some of the most beautiful light towards the end of the session and a sunset of oranges, pinks, and yellows! I am so excited to share this one with you, friends!

How lovely is Pittsburgh, and how sweet are Chiara and Patrick?! I met up with Chiara, Patrick, and their Corgi, Piper, in Allegheny Commons Park for their "spring" (we're using that word very loosely in Pittsburgh this April!) engagement session!

Throughout their entire session, I could tell that these two were not just bride-to-be and groom-to-be, but truly best friends! They were high-fiving, hanging out with their pup, and just being themselves, which is always my favorite thing to see (and capture!) during a session! Why should photos have to be boring?!

Aside from hanging out with Piper, these two love traveling together, trying new restaurants, and their favorite date night includes Chinese take-out (right on, friends!)!

Without further ado, check out just a few of my favorites from Chiara and Patrick's engagement session! Congrats you two - we can't wait to celebrate with you in December!

It was a crisp, cool day near the end of March when we met Emily and Brady for their engagement photos on the North Shore of Pittsburgh. As my first "spring" engagement session of the year, I was so excited to get back into the swing of things - after a long season in 2017, I took a couple of months off to rest, travel, and regain some much needed perspective heading into this season.

These two went to the same tiny college, but didn't meet until after they had already graduated. Brady proposed on the Rachel Carson bridge, which is literally a ten second walk from Emily's apartment complex - so, of course, we had to visit the bridge as the grand finale for their engagement session!

I am so thankful that Emily and Brady were my first session of the year! Despite their nerves, I couldn't find one ounce of uncomfortableness during their photo session while they were in front of the camera - what I think I loved most about these two is just their general naturalness together. They're not just fiance and fiance - it's easy to tell that they're truly best friends, which made them so incredibly easy to photograph!